Old Parish Birth records hard to read

[morgano]

Hello.
I'd greatly appreciate help with reading two OPRs, which I have up-loaded. Both relate to the births of girls named Margaret Johnstoune in Haddington, in the 1670s. The 1670 one should be about a Margaret Johnstoune, born to Patrick Johnstoune and Hellen Reid. The 1677 one should involve another Margaret Johnstoune, born to William Johnstoune and Margaret Andersone. I can't make out the relevant birth/baptism records in either instance. Can anyone help, please? I think I have loaded the JPGs to the right place.

Margaret Johnstoune 1677: http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... ?pos=-1734

Many thanks,


Morgano

Gallery URL added - AndrewP

[AndrewP]

Hi Morgano,

The 1677 upload was there. No sign of the one from 1670.

All the best,

AndrewP

[AndrewP]

Hi Morgano,

A tricky one to read, but here is my offering.

• 21 Oct 1677
  W^m Johnstoune Mar^t Andersone a d Margaret born
  18 baptized 21 wit W^m Potovost(?) Ro^t Robertsone

I am confused by the surname of the first witness, so have made the best guess from what I can read there. Only a pity that it is not any name that I recognise. It is written on top of the long descender of the s in Andersone from the line above.

All the best,

AndrewP

[morgano]

Hello.
Thanks for that! I couldn't even see where the relevant entry was. Could the surname of the witness be Paterson?

I did have trouble with uploading one of the files, but I thought both had gone through eventually. I think that the 1670 record has now loaded.
http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... ?pos=-1735
<image URL added. LesleyB>

This one is marginally easier to read, so it's actually only the witnesses' names that I can't make out. There are three Margarets Johnstoune/Johnstone born in Haddington in this period (the OPR for the one born in 1679 is in beautifully clear handwriting). There is a marriage, or possibly a reading of the banns, of a John Nisbet and a Margaret Johnstoun in 1704. I am looking for clues as to which of the three MJs, if any, was the bride, so even the names of the winesses may help.
Many thanks for your help,



Morgano

[AndrewP]

Hi Morgano,

I'm struggling with the witnesses names on this one, to the point that I am unsure whether there were two or three witnesses. Even a mug of glüwein consumed at Edinburgh's German market has not made it any clearer.

• 15 December 1670
  Pa^k Johnstoune Hellen Reid a d Mar^t born 12 baptized
  15 wit James __ ____ __ _____ ____ ____

However, after reading this one I have edited the 1677 one above: deleted named and replaced by a d (a daughter).

All the best,

AndrewP

[LesleyB]

Hi Andrew
I didn't even post after adding the URL as all I could make out was the James as well, and I was not even convinced of that as I half wondered if it was Jannet??
It may be people (2?) followed by placenames, as I've seen that pattern before, and which might account for the number of words.
(but I've not had the benefit of that mug of glüwein! Though it is sooo cold here, it would be very welcome. It was -4 degrees at 8am this morning, or so I'm told, I was still in bed at that time!)

Best wishes
Lesley

[grannysrock]

very hard to read ..
Agree with Andrew. I think the first witness surname on the 1677 one might be Polwort. ( like modern day Polwarth )
On the 1870 , the first witness could be Jannet Edington ?

Sally

[morgano]

Grannysrock,
I think you could well be right about "Edington", or a variant of it. There are plenty of Eadingtons and Edingtouns in Haddington in the late 17th and early 18th century. It never dawned on me before that "Edington" etc came from Haddington.
Thanks very much for your help,



Morgano